How to Ship a Honda Accord: Cost, Prep and What to Expect

How to Ship a Honda Accord

The Accord is one of the cheapest cars in America to ship and one of the most commonly quoted wrong, because people assume a mid size sedan is a mid size sedan. Recent Accords are longer than most people picture, and the hybrid variants weigh more than the gasoline cars. Neither changes much, but giving the right year gets you the right price the first time.

Black Honda Accord parked on gravel at dusk

Why It Prices Well

A carrier sells deck space and payload, and the Accord uses a moderate amount of each.

At roughly 3,100 to 3,600 pounds depending on generation and drivetrain, and around 16 feet long, it loads anywhere on a standard open trailer without displacing anything. That puts it at the low end of the price range for whatever lane you are on, alongside the Camry and the Altima.

The comparison worth making is against a full size pickup or a three row SUV, which take more length, weigh substantially more and sometimes have to occupy a particular deck position. Those price higher for good reason. An Accord does not.

If a quote comes back at a premium, the reason is the route, the timing or the access, not the car.

What Actually Moves the Number

The lane. How much carrier traffic already runs your route matters more than the mileage. A busy corridor between metropolitan areas prices well; two small towns off the interstate system do not.

Timing. A range of pickup days is the single most valuable thing you can offer. Summer is the busiest season and prices firm accordingly.

Tractor trailer parked under the canopy of a highway fuel station

Access at both ends. A loaded hauler is around 75 feet long and 13 feet 6 inches tall. A narrow street with low branches means a meeting point at a large lot near a highway, which is normal and worth agreeing when you book.

Open or enclosed. Enclosed costs 20 to 30 percent more. For an ordinary Accord it is unnecessary. It makes sense on a genuinely low mileage example, fresh paintwork, or a Type R or Si with real collector interest.

Whether it runs. An inoperable car needs a winch and a carrier equipped for it. Say so up front. A car discovered not to start at pickup is the most expensive kind of surprise.

The Accord-Specific Notes

Three things worth mentioning, none of them serious.

Hybrids. A hybrid Accord ships exactly like any other car. It is not running on the trailer, so the battery is doing nothing. It weighs a little more, which is immaterial at this size. Leave the high voltage system alone and hand over the key.

Ground clearance on sport trims. A standard Accord has no clearance problem, but a lowered example or one with an aftermarket front lip can catch on a standard steel ramp. If the car sits lower than factory height, say so when you book so the driver brings the right approach.

Older Accords and battery age. On a car that has been sitting, check that it starts reliably before pickup day. A carrier needs it to drive on and off the trailer, and a no-start at either end is a delay somebody pays for.

Preparing It

Wash it so existing marks are visible, then photograph every panel in daylight, including the wheels, the lower bumpers and the rocker panels, which are what loading marks. Photograph the odometer too.

Dark Honda Accord parked on a residential street

Leave about a quarter tank of fuel. More is unnecessary weight; less risks the car not making it to a station after delivery.

Empty the cabin and the trunk completely, since personal items are not covered by cargo insurance, they add weight and they move around in transit. Fold the mirrors, disable a motion sensitive alarm, and remove a toll transponder so you are not billed for the truck’s route.

Check tire pressures and note any fluid leaks. A car that drips onto the vehicle below it on the trailer becomes somebody else’s problem, and a bad leak will get the car declined.

At Pickup and Delivery

Walk around the car with the driver at pickup rather than handing over keys and going inside. The condition report on the bill of lading is written then, and it is the document that settles any later dispute. If you disagree with something on it, say so before it is signed.

At delivery, inspect before signing, in daylight if at all possible, and compare against your photographs. Look at the lower bodywork, the wheels and the areas around the tie-down points first, since that is where transport damage appears.

Note anything unexpected on the paperwork while the driver is present. If the car arrives after dark or in heavy rain, write on the bill of lading that a full inspection was not possible before you sign it. Our guide to what car shipping insurance actually covers explains what the cargo policy includes.

Transit Times

Once collected, plan on one to two days regionally, three to five across half the country, and five to seven coast to coast, plus a few days for a carrier to be assigned beforehand.

Treat a delivery date as a range rather than an appointment. Drivers work under federal hours of service limits and a hauler making several stops does not travel in a straight line.